The ST-M5 is for mozz, provolone, and pasta filata cheeses. LH is helveticus, it has the ability to digest other sugars than lactose, so you get flavor nuances when used in combination with other cultures. It's also used as a primary acidifier in hard cheeses like romano. The meso culture is for gouda and tommes. Think mild, washed curd. I can dig up their tech sheets if you want; I have them somewhere, or they might be in the library already in the chr hansen thread.

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Thanks LB, I think I am known on this forum as being adicted to use only buttermilk and yogurt as starters.I've "inherited" those culters from a friend, being packed in very small containers, mentioning they are for 100 liters of milk. As I have them, I'd like to use them, but I don't know how (I'm OK about the dosage).

I went looking on the web for LHB02 culture, but couldn't find either a source for it, or (more important to me) what constitutes LHB02 in case it's available under another name. Is there another culture I can substitute? I'm really wanting to try a fontina.

Fontina is an unusual cheese. It's made really close to a parmigiano reggiano, except the moisture, temp schedule, etc. And no culture is used, so the acidification is very slow. if you want to make it in the traditional style, yes, no starter. I would add a tad of starter for safety, though. You can also follow a nontraditional approach.

No way to know about your flora without testing.

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